Christina Boike – Board President


Christina Boike is the current board president for the United Way of West Central Minnesota and joined our team after seeking out opportunities to give back to our local communities. An accountant with Christianson, PLLP for nearly 13 years, she is part of a family tradition of working in the field of accounting. All three of her younger siblings also share her love for numbers. Support from her parents encouraged her to find a career that was both rewarding and offered longevity, so she attended Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall with a double major in accounting and finance. Graduating in 2009 during the recession, she applied for a position in many places but was excited to come to Willmar to join the Christianson team. Being new to town, Christina was seeking to meet others and build relationships, and fulfill her personal value of community service and volunteerism. After learning about the work being done by the United Way through an employer campaign, our team was fortunate to have her join our internal committee where she served for approximately 10 years, before joining the board as member-at-large in 2019. Almost a full year into her new role as president, she is excited about the direction and opportunities to make an even larger impact to local individuals and families.
Christina joined the board in November 2019 at a critical time for the United Way, just prior to the transition to Kevin Dietrich the executive director, shortly followed by the COVID pandemic. Christina is a long-serving member of the United Way team, and she has been passionate about her involvement since experiencing first-hand the incredible organizations and their mission to meet critical needs for all people. After participating in a “Community Review Day”, which was part of the grant process prior to COVID. Members of the community would meet and interact with many of the non-profit organizations in our service area and help to direct the funding to the areas needed most. As she learned how provided funds were being used in incredible ways and witnessing the difference it makes. COVID was a very challenging complication that forced drastic shifts in how our organization operates most effectively and making it more difficult to provide for needs with everyone being limited in interaction. We continue to adjust as needs and unforeseen challenges emerge just as we have since our founding. However, our grant process has changed to focus in even more on the areas of health, education, and basic needs on a quarterly basis. As we begin moving forward from COVID, we are a
Christina’s vision for the United Way going forward it to place additional focus on strategic planning and addressing many of the challenges we face including COVID. This will help the United Way to build the momentum we had in the past. By digging deep and considering where we go from here, together we can all do incredible things. Another effect of our current events on the organization was a reduction in donations which she hopes will quickly return to and even exceed previous donation amounts as people return to a more normal life than we have experienced over the past two years. When everyone gives as they are able and in a way that is meaningful, there is no end to the good that can be done.
She is a firm believer that it does take a village, and that great relationships with those we serve, our donors, and the community are the catalyst to change lives in highly significant ways. With one more year in her term as president, she has no plans to leave anytime soon. We know that whatever role she has on the team will be a great benefit. When everyone gives just a little, we can do a whole lot to ensure we can all LIVE UNITED!